“Everything will be okay.”
“Don’t worry. Be happy.”
“Hakuna matata.”
These feel-good yet frothy phrases center around an issue that is near and dear to my sinful heart: worry.I remember as a child telling my mom I was worried about how much she worried about me. That’s how much of a worrywart I am. And still today I worry about just about everything. My husband jokes that I worry about the things I’m not worried about that I should be worried about. That’s worrisome.
What about you? Do you struggle with worry? There are only about a million things you could worry about—health, money, your kids, your career, your kids, your marriage, your country, your kids, the future, the economy, natural disasters, your kids, your church . . . and did I mention your kids?
God’s Word on Worrying
God’s Word has a lot to say about our worrying. You might be familiar with the words that Jesus speaks about worry in His Sermon on the Mount. It’s worth reading again in its entirety.
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:25–34)
This passage is comforting . . . and yet also convicting. Jesus is instructing us, “Do not be anxious.” But in my sinful brokenness, I can’t help it. Anxiety is real, and worry is so common that I know I can’t fight against it on my own.
God > Worries
But the good news is that God doesn’t leave us to overcome our worries on our own. He doesn’t say, “Keep your chin up,” or send us “positive vibes” to help us get over our worries. No, He tells us to cast all our worries onto His shoulders (1 Peter 5:7) because He is the only one strong enough to carry them. He carries all our fears and anxieties to the cross, where He forgives us, comforts our deepest worries, and gives us the promise of eternal life to cling to all of our days on earth.
So when (not if) you find yourself worrying about something today, try these ideas to focus on Jesus, the one who holds you and all your worries in His nail-pierced hands.
- Take a deep breath and pray simply, “God, I’m worried about this. Remind me that You are in control, and You are watching over me now and always. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”
- Write down a list of things that worry you. Then draw a cross over them to remind yourself that Christ has won the victory over sin, death, and the devil, and He holds the victory over your greatest worries too.
- Talk to a Christian friend about your worries, and pray for each other often.
Scripture: ESV®.
Download this month’s Everyday Faith Calendar, which focuses on God’s promises amidst our worries. You will find short Bible readings and prayer prompts for each day.
